Mike Rice’s favorite mantra is coming in handy this week, with news his Rutgers men’s basketball program will be playing in the Big Ten in two years.

“I tell my players all the time, you can only worry about what you can control,” Rice said. “What conference we join is not my decision, but moving forward into the Big Ten, we have an opportunity for stability and security for our athletic department. I’m excited for us to be associated with those prestigious universities.”

While the move is an obvious boon to the school and the football program, it’s a decidedly mixed bag for Rutgers’ other revenue sport. On the plus side, and this is a big plus, the impending renovation of the Louis Brown Athletic Center just got a huge financial shot in the arm.

“Moving forward, I know the focus will be on the renovation of the RAC,” Rice said. “Hopefully with joining the Big Ten, that process can move farther along and quicker.”

But like everyone who grew up on college basketball, Rice has a tinge of regret about leaving the Big East.

“I’m excited about the future with the Big Ten and advancing our program to make it successful in that league,” Rice said, “but certainly the Big East was an incredible conference with such tradition, with such coaches and players, that this is a dramatic change for our program.”

Eastern basketball is different from Midwestern basketball, both in terms of style and cachet. From a cultural and competitive standpoint, the ideal landing spot for Rutgers men’s basketball would have been the ACC.

Certainly recruiting will be different, although it’s not like Rutgers dropped down in class. Just over.

“Recruits first go to the university, and I don’t see the Big Ten not selling because of the level of basketball programs that they have in that league,” Rice said. “I think adding Maryland helps us carve some of the Eastern seaboard into the Big Ten. The DC-Baltimore area has been a hotbed for talent.”

At least one Big East team figures to stay on Rutgers’ schedule. Rice said he would like to see an annual December clash with archrival Seton Hall.

“No question. It’s a state rivalry, the fans enjoy it, it has tradition to it. I’d love to continue that,” Rice said. “We’ll talk between both athletic departments and coaches to figure it out. I’d like to get the same date every year and switch (the site) back and forth so there’s no haggling about the date or the place.”

Seton Hall coach Kevin Willard echoed that sentiment, saying, “I think it would be a great game toward the new year.”

Currently Rutgers and Seton Hall meet twice per year—the Big East always schedules them home and home, the only such arrangement in the league—but an annual showdown could carry even more juice. Think Cincinnati vs. Xavier.

“You still have a rivalry, you still have two passionate fan bases that don’t like the other school,” Rice said. “That stuff’s not going to change.”